General Awareness PYQs

• The Baroda FASTag is a simple and reusable tag based on Radio-Frequency Identification Technology (RFID) that will be affixed on a vehicle’s windscreen.
• Each tag is linked to a prepaid account maintained at Bank end to facilitate instant automatic deduction of toll charges.
• Bank of Baroda issues prepaid RFID tags to customers which can be recharged.
• Once Tags are affixed on vehicle that vehicle can pass through ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) lane at Toll Plazas without stopping and Toll charges will be automatically deducted from the account linked to Tag.

The correct answer is 3.

• Credit Information Bureau Of India Limited (CIBIL) score contains 3 digits.
• The CIBIL score range from 300-900.
• CIBIL score estimates the loan repayments behaviour of Individual and business.
• Banks and financial institutions use CIBIL score for approving the loan and checking the financial behaviour of an individual and business**.**
• CIBIL score close to 900, more chances of loan approval and implies good financial behaviour.
• CIBIL score near to 300 means fewer chances of loan approval and implies **poor financial behaviour.**​

​Additional Inforamtion:

• CIBIL is the repository of information established in the year 2000.
• CIBIL gets data from all Banks and lending institutions operating in India.
• Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act, 2005, and various Rules and Regulations issued by RBI empowered CIBIL  Ltd to collect the data from various types of credit grantors and then share the same within the group.
• Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act,2005 enable banks to submit data to CIBIL without obtaining borrower consent this has enabled CIBIL to tracks repayment history of bank customers loans, credit cards and further banking finances.
• CIBIL prepares Credit Information Report.
• Credit Information Report (CIR) is a factual record of a borrower's credit payment history compiled from information provided by banks and lending institutions.
• CIR helps banks and other lending institutions make informed lending decisions.

• Tamil Nadu has become the first State in the country to enact a law on contract farming.
• President Ram Nath Kovind has given assent to the Agricultural Produce and Livestock Contract Farming and Services (Promotion and Facilitation) Act.
• The law would safeguard interests of farmers during times of bumper harvest or fluctuating market prices.
• They would be paid at a pre-determined price.

The correct answer is option 2, i.e. Arupjyoti Saikia.

• Titled “The Unquiet River: A biography of the Brahmaputra”, the book has been written by historian Arupjyoti Saikia, and published by Oxford University Press (OUP).
• The book claims to combine a range of disciplinary scholarship to unravel the geological forces as well as human endeavour which have shaped the river into what it is today.
• The Brahmaputra river that has shaped both the landscape of the Assam valley and the livelihoods of its inhabitants, is the subject of a new book.

• The Odisha government has decided to spend Rs 3208 crore under the Augmentation of Basic Amenities and Development of Heritage and Architecture (ABADHA) scheme in three years to transform Puri into a world heritage city.
• A proposal in this regard was approved in the meeting of the Cabinet presided by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
• While Rs 719 crore will be spent under the scheme in 2019-20, the cost of the projects to be taken up under ABADHA will be around Rs 1402 crore and Rs 1087 crore in 2020-21 and 2021-22 respectively.
• The Cabinet approved a proposal to amend the Odisha Hindu Religious Endowments Act, 1951 by excluding Gobardhan Math, Puri from its purview to vest the management of the Math with Jagadguru Shankaracharya.

• Sunil Mehta, a non-executive chairman of Punjab National Bank , was the head of Sashakt Committee.
• The government had constituted a committee led by Sunil Mehta to resolve the issue of  NPAs.
• Sunil Mehta said the new RBI direction making the Inter-Creditor Agreement (ICA) framework mandatory is a move in the right direction for resolution of non-performing assets (NPAs or bad loans).
• Sashakt panel has recommended that bad loans of up to Rs 50 crore will be managed at the bank level, with a deadline of 90 days.
• For bad loans of Rs 50-500 crore, banks will enter into an ICA, authorising the lead bank to implement a resolution plan in 180 days or refer the case to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).
• The Sashkat ICA can be modified to incorporate the requirements of the new framework and serve as the Master Inter-Creditor Agreement for resolution of all stressed asset under BLRA (Bank Led Resolution Approach).

• Sudarsan Pattnaik is a world-renowned Indian sand artist from Odisha. He was awarded the Padma Shri by Government of India in 2014.
• Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has been conferred the Italian Golden Sand Art Award, 2019 at a ceremony in Rome, becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious award for his contribution to sand art.
• Representing India at the International Scorrano Sand Nativity event held in Lecce from November 13 to 17, Pattnaik created a 10-foot high sand sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi along with Russian artist Pavel Minilkov.

• Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey 2018-19 in both Houses of Parliament on July 5, 2019.
• The survey projects GDP to grow at 7% in 2019-20.
• The Indian economy is expected to grow at 6.8% in 2018-19.
• The theme of the survey is about enabling shifting of gears to sustained economic growth to achieve a 5 trillion dollar economy by 2025.

The correct answer is Airtel Payment Bank.

• ​Airtel Payments Bank launched "Bharosa" savings account services, designed for deepening the financial inclusion in the country.
• Along with convenient banking services, Bharosa savings account would offer Rs 5 lakh personal accident insurance on maintaining balance of Rs 500 along with one debit transaction per month.
• Customers would also be eligible for cashback, if they decided to receive government subsidies in their Bharosa account or if they made cash deposits in it
• Bharosa savings account customers can also withdraw cash, check their balance or access a mini statement of their account at over 6,50,000 AePS (Aadhaar-enabled payment system) enabled outlets across India.
• Airtel Payments Bank offers digital banking services through a network of 5,00,000 neighbourhood banking points spread across the the country. ​

• MSTC Ltd has signed an agreement with Allahabad Bank for the development of a dedicated e-Auction platform.
• The e-Auction platform will be a one-of-a-kind solution, where a bidder once registered, will be able to participate in auctions for all banks.
• This move will help the banks monetise NPAs through a streamlined process, thereby, increasing revenue generation.

• SEBI has set up a high-level panel to suggest possible structures and regulations for creating 'social stock exchanges'.
• It will help to facilitate the listing and fund-raising by social enterprises as well as voluntary organisations.
• The committee will be headed by Ishaat Hussain (Director at SBI Foundation and former Finance Director at Tata Sons).

• Karnam Sekar, CEO and MD of Dena Bank, will become the MD and CEO of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) effective from July 1, 2019.
• After superannuation on June 30, 2020, he will join IOB as OSD and whole-time director.
• Vijaya Bank MD and CEO, R.A. Sankara Narayanan, has been named MD and CEO of Canara Bank.

• UNESCO has designated Mumbai as a member of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) in the field of film and Hyderabad in the field of Gastronomy.
• UCCN, created in 2004, is a network of cities which are thriving, active centres of cultural activities in their respective countries.
• The UNESCO Creative Cities Network now counts a total of 246 cities.

Correct answer is option no.

(1) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the GOI signed a $451 mn loans to strengthen power connectivity between the southern and northern parts of the Chennai–Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor in the state of Tamil Nadu.

• The project will help establish an extra-high-voltage transmission link between Virudhunagar and Coimbatore to transfer the additional generation capacity of 9,000 MW, including 6,000 MW from renewables$.

• Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice was instituted by Harmony Foundation in 2005.
• UNHRC was named as the recipient of the Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice, 2017 as an acknowledgement of its exceptional work worldwide.
• The UNHCR provides humanitarian aid to innumerable people internally displaced by conflicts and helping stateless people all over the world.

The correct answer is option 2) i.e. Kerala.

• RBI approved the merger of district co-operative banks to form Kerala Bank in Kerala.
• All 13 district co-operative banks (DCBs) operating in Kerala would be amalgamated with Kerala State Co-operative Bank to form the Kerala Bank.
• After receiving the RBI's nod, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed hope that the Kerala Bank will help accelerate development of the state.
• All DCBs, except the one in Malappuram district controlled by the opposition Congress-led UDF, had approved the state government's proposal in their general body meetings.

• Two new countries Eritrea and Saint Kittis and Nevis have signed the International Solar Alliance's (ISA) Framework Agreement at its second Assembly held in New Delhi.
• With this 83 countries have so far signed the ISA framework agreement.
• At the United Nations Climate Action Summit 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to increase renewable energy capacity to 175 GigaWatt by 2022

The correct answer is option 5, i.e. Bengaluru.

• Ujjivan Financial Services Limited started operations as an NBFC in 2005 with the mission of providing a full range of financial services to the economically active poor who are not adequately served by financial institutions.
• On October 7, 2015, Ujjivan received in-principle approval from the RBI to set up a Small Finance Bank and floated its wholly-owned subsidiary ‘Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Limited’.
• The Company transferred its business to Ujjivan Small Finance Bank which subsequent to the RBI license commenced its banking operations from February 01, 2017.
• Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Ltd. is also included in the Second Schedule to the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
• Tagline: We believe in your belief.
• Head office: Bengaluru, Karnataka.

• Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde was appointed as the 47^th Chief Justice of India.
• Justice Bobde will take oath as the CJI on November 18, 2019.
• He will have a tenure of 17 months and would demit office on April 23^rd, 2021.
• Ranjan Gogoi was the 46^th CJI.

• Bollywood actress Kareena Kapoor Khan unveiled the trophies of the T20 World Cups in Melbourne.
• The Women’s T20 World Cup will kick-off on February 21, 2020, followed by the Men’s edition, which is slated to begin from October 18 in the same year in Australia.
• Windies had won the competition in 2016, held in India, after beating England in the final in dramatic fashion.